Animal Colective have always been one of the more experimental acts in music, trying things completely unexpected and unlike anything else out there, and they continue those experimental ways with their second audiovisual album, Tangerine Reef (made in collaboration with Coral Morphologic). I can’t stress enough how much this is an album that needs to be heard in conjunction with Coral’s accompanying visuals. Their slow motion recording of bright, extraterrestrial looking coral is stunning and it helps really bring to life Animal Collective’s spacey, almost dreamlike production. It’s a soundscape that’s full of abstract synths, ethereal vocals, and tons of open space that lead you to feel like you’re floating in a vacuum or sensory deprivation tank. It’s strange to say the least and almost hallucinogenic in nature; a perfect fit in one of those old school sci-fi flicks. Alone, there’s no way I’d be able to make it through either the audio or visual part of the project but together they create a mesmerizing loop that stands as art as much as it does music. Tangerine Reef is something that’d need to be experienced to be fully understood – there’s nothing else like it.
We are positive
Opposite of what I’m feeling
Hopefully I won’t forget to breathe out there
Trust the people though I am not like them– “Buffalo Tomato”
Have you heard Tangerine Reef? What’d you think about it? Did Animal Collective’s soundscapes bring Coral Morphologic’s visuals to life? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the project.
